The Pilgrim Newsletter a Semi-Annual Publication of the National Society Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE PILGRIM NEWSLETTER A SEMI-ANNUAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE PILGRIMS Volume 102, Number 3, Summer 2018 GOVENOR GENERAL MICHAEL SCOTT SWISHER THE PILGRIM NEWSLETTER GENERAL COURT PHOTOS 2 Volume 102, Number 3 Summer 2018 THE PILGRIM NEWSLETTER THE PILGRIM NEWSLETTER A SEMI-ANNUAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE PILGRIMS Volume 102, Number 3 206th Edition Summer 2018 Michael Scott Swisher Governor General MOTTO Land of our Fathers! Ours to preserve. Ours to transmit. Liberty in Union: Now and Forever. Jane Duxbury Schleinzer, Editor General The First Pilgrim Newsletter, Volume 1, Number 1 was published on January 1909 in Providence, RI 3 Volume 102, Number 3 Summer 2018 THE PILGRIM NEWSLETTER GOVERNOR GENERAL’S MESSAGE I am pleased to tell you that our Society’s 110th General Court was well attended, busy, congenial, and productive. We were able to address our most immediate challenge, the re-establishment of the Society’s website. Many thanks are due to Jane “Xan” Alexander who offered to serve as our new Webmaster, and who has been appointed as such. We have a new domain name. The website is still under construction but is up and running. We have a new domain name: https://www.nationalssdp.org In order to prevent loss of control of our website in the event of unforeseen circumstances, we have established a policy that at least two persons shall be entrusted with the password to our website. Thanks to Texas Branch Governor Peggy Latham Anderson for agreeing to serve as the second person. Cheryl Whitt Rios, who had tendered her resignation as Organizing Secretary General because of her husband’s ill health, reported that his condition has improved, and that therefore she would be able to resume service in this post, if agreeable to the Executive Board. She has accordingly been re-appointed. We had a worthwhile discussion of the Society’s charitable functions and the role of the Benefactions Committee. As you will recall, in the past our Society had several standing charities. These were supported by donations from members and the Branches, forwarded annually to the Society. This structure was changed in view of changes in purpose by some of the recipients, and in one case even a change in its name. Most had little relation to the period of history we commemorate. At this time the Benefactions Committee selects our charities. If you have a worthy charity in mind, please bring it to the attention of that Committee, together with as much supporting information as you can. We rely on our committees to deal with the details of projects and activities that we do not have adequate time to discuss at length during General Court. Concerns that we are sufficiently engaged in activities justifying our non-profit, tax-exempt and tax-deductible status are always appropriate. However, it should be borne in mind that suitable charitable activity need not always consist of outright gifts of funds. Educational activity is also a valid charitable purpose. We engage in this by recording genealogical information and publishing it in our Lineage Books, and most recently, our Ancestor Roster. Finally, building an endowment of funds that will ensure our Society is able to continue its work, and to provide income from investment to support future projects, is itself a valid charitable objective. Please remember that gifts and bequests help enormously toward this goal. We have one such endowment in our Edson Carr Dayton Fund. If you are feeling especially generous, remember our Society in your will! It will be much appreciated, and suitably commemorated. Before I finish my term as Governor General, I look forward to visiting some more of our Branches. If you would like me to visit your branch, please let me know, and I will make my best effort to attend one of your meetings to bring greetings from the National Society. How quickly time flies! It seems not that long ago that I was elected Governor General, but at this General Court a nominating committee was chosen, in accordance with the By-Laws, to assemble a slate of candidates for the 2019-2021 term at our 111th General Court. Please make a note that the date of that General Court will be April 15, 2019, again at the University Club of Washington, D.C. I look forward to seeing you there! In Pilgrim Bonds, Michael Scott Swisher Governor General . 4 Volume 102, Number 3 Summer 2018 THE PILGRIM NEWSLETTER NATIONAL SOCIETY SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE PILGRIMS Organized December 21, 1908 Incorporated December 21, 1909 OBJECTIVES OF THE SOCIETY FIRST: To perpetuate the memory and to foster and to promote the principles and virtues of the Pilgrims. SECOND: To commemorate publicly, at stated times, principal events in the history of the Pilgrims, and to erect durable memorials to historic men, women and events. THIRD: To encourage the study and research of Pilgrim history, especially as related to the foundation of civil government on the principles of religious freedom. FOURTH: To foster and establish such departments of study and organization as shall seem best to promote social rights, civic virtue, political equality, the supremacy of just laws, the value and sacredness of the ballot, the purity of the home, temperate and godly living, and the dependence of individuals, communities, states and nations upon the guidance of Almighty God, as taught by the Pilgrims. FIFTH: To the above objects stated by the founder has been added another interest, that of reforestation. MEMBERSHIP Membership is divided into 3 classes: Adults (18 years of age and over), Juniors (under 21), and Associates. Proven lineal descent from immigrants to American colonies prior to 1700 qualifies applicants for Adult and Junior membership. Other interested persons may apply for Associate membership. The spouses of Adult members who are not themselves eligible for membership are especially invited and welcomed as Associate members. Adult membership can start at age 18. Junior membership can start at birth but can be held until the 21st birthday during which no dues are charged. This effectively creates a 3-year overlap during which a Junior may decide about Adult membership. BRANCHES The National Society is composed of state organizations called Branches. Branch meetings are scheduled as often as their Bylaws stipulate. INSIGNIA The Official Seal of the National Society provides the model for its insignia which depicts, in royal blue and gold, John Alden and Priscilla Mullins on their way to be married at the Olde Forte Church on Burial Hill. BENEFACTION COMMITTEE At our April 2015 General Court meeting, it was decided to no longer support the Bicknell Scholarship, Cathedral of the Pines, Cook College, and Pershing Memorial funds because these committees do not focus on the era of our ancestors. Instead, a Benefaction Committee was established so we can be more flexible in our support of projects that are more focused on the Colonial era of our ancestors. These changes have now been made to our national bylaws. The change also affects the Sarah O. Dunaway Membership Award, which has now been changed to give credit to only your donations to this new committee. The charities recommended must be 501(c)(3) entities. One entity will be recommended each year for a maximum of a four- year commitment. No more than four (4) can be supported each year. The committee's recommendation is presented at each annual meeting for member approval before any money is expended. As you can imagine, this is a HUGE task for this new committee as there are probably hundreds of colonial era projects going on in the country. For this reason, we ask for your assistance. Do you know of any renovation projects of the colonial era, museum exhibits focusing on the colonial era, archeological digs of colonial era communities, the scope of this committee is huge and could even be expanded to digitization of colonial era documents. The committee, itself, was designed to serve rotating 3-year terms with one new member appointed every year. Therefore, to start the committee with three members, Sally Hlavay was appointed for two years and is serving as chairman to this committee. Carla Odom is serving a one-year term and Anne Winn, a three-year term. This will begin the rotation of the committee members and still give the committee the three (3) members needed to accomplish this huge task. As the first members of this committee, they will give this committee some guidelines as well. Please see page 11 for the new recommendations for Pilgrims’ supported projects. 5 Volume 102, Number 3 Summer 2018 THE PILGRIM NEWSLETTER ELECTED GENERAL OFFICERS 2017-2019 GOVERNOR GENERAL REGISTRAR GENERAL Michael Scott Swisher Tom Chrisman 14511 N Olinda Blvd 1738 Wilder Ct Stillwater, MN 55082-1147 Dunwoody, GA 30338 [email protected] [email protected] 1ST DEPUTY GOVERNOR GENERAL Pat Erwin Hugar HISTORIAN GENERAL Ann 3230 Lombardy Rd Taylor Schaeffer Pasadena, CA 91107-5533 5611 15th St N [email protected] Arlington, VA 22205-2805 [email protected] 2ND DEPUTY GOVERNOR GENERAL William "Bill" Allerton III P O Box 791348 ELDER GENERAL New Orleans, LA 70179-1348 Ann S. Williams Garner [email protected] 102 Preston Rd SE Parrott, GA 39877-3202 RECORDING SECRETARY GENERAL [email protected] Carla Odom 5233 N Willowhaven Dr CAPTAIN GENERAL Durham, NC 27712-1958 Jacque-Lynne Schulman [email protected] 3805 Balsam Rd Port Republic, MD 20676-2642 CORESPONDING SECRETARY [email protected] GENERAL Millicent S. Jordan 3007 Stillwater Ct EDITOR GENERAL Forest Hill, MD 21050-2012 Jane D. Schleinzer [email protected] 2625 Moss Ln Aurora, IL 60504-6096 COUNSELOR GENERAL [email protected] Patricia P.